Collapsible leg structure for tables



April 19, 1932. D. A. CAIRNEY COLLAPSIBLE LEG STRUCTURE FOR TABLES FiledApril 21, 1950 2 Sheets5heet 1N VEN TO R law'd/Z ("02/ /27 ATTORY April19, 1932. D -A 1,854,248

COLLAPSIBLE LEG STRUCTURE FOR TABLES Filed April 21, 1950 2 sheets-sheet2 JarzZZ/Z fair/ 9 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 19, 1932 stares DAVID A.CAIRNEY, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN COLLAPSIBLE LEG STRUCTURE FOR TABLESApplication filed. April 21,

This invention relates to leg structures-for tables, and particularlyleg structures which may be collapsed upon removal of the table toptherefrom to afford compact storage of the table.

Certain types of collapsible table leg structuresat present availablehave not been found entirely satisfactory through lack of a properrigidity in use, and a consequent tendency to sway and creak.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a collapsibleleg structure, assuming a .very compact form when collapsed and havingin use substantially the same rigidity as a noncollapsible structure.

This and various other objects the inven tion attains by theconstruction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the improved leg structure adjusted foruse, omltting the lower portions of the legs and showing a portion of a.table top carried by said structure.

Fig. 2 is across sectional view of the same, particularly showingmechanism for clamping relatively movable sections of the leg structurein firm engagement.

Fig. 3'is a. ton plan view of the same, with certain portions insection.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, butshowing coacting clampingelements of the clamp ing mechanism disengaged.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the leg strucr tu-re collapsed.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail taken upon the line 66 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail taken upon the line 77 of Fig. 2.

: Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of the table llignQ is a side elevationalView of the table as assembled for use.

In these views, the reference character 1 designates a tabletop of anysuitable contour and illustrated as substantially square. To its underface at a suitable distance from its margin are secured inner and outerstrips 2,.sp'aced2to form an endless groove or chanincl 3. I

sections for a purpose hereinafter explained.

19-30. Serial No. 446,025.

Said top is adapted to freely seat upon a leg structure, comprising anormally rectangular frame surmounting two pairs of legs 4 and l. Saidframe consists primarily of a pair of side pieces 5 and 6 nailed orother- .5 Wise rigidly secured at their ends to said legs, and a secondpair of side pieces 7 and 8, each formed in two equal sections hingedlyconnected, as indicated at 9. The outer ends of said sections are sopivoted to the legs so and l as to provide for their collapse intoparallelism with the side pieces 5 and 6, as shown in Fig. 5. Thus thesections forming each side piece 7 and 8 are carried by a pair of metalbars 10 and 11, having their outer ends looped as indicated at 12 toform sleeves engaging U-bolts 13 inserted in the legs. The ends of saidU-bolts are engaged by nuts 14 clamped against the outer faces of theside pieces 5 and 6. Attachment of said sections to the bars 10 and 11is effected by screws 15 entering the sections through longitudinalslots 16 in said bars. This provides for a slight lengthwise playbetween said bars and The inner end of each bar 11 is formed with akeeper hook 17 for engagement by the hooked end 18 of a latch arm 19pivotally carried by the companion bar 10, and it is a primary featureof the invention that thisengagement may be established under such astress as will draw the legs a and 4' strongly toward each other, so asto firmly clamp the paired sections 7 firmly between said legs. Thuseach latch arm is pivoted-on aclamping handle 20, which is in turnpivoted on the inner end of the associated member 10, so that uponengagement of the keeper hooks by said latch arms, the latter may bestressed very firmly against said hooks by swinging the 9 associatedhandles 20 to their horizontal clamping positions, best shown in. Figs.2 and 3. Under such conditions, the bars 10 and 11 are tensioned to drawthe members 5 and 6 and attached legs 4 and 4 tightly against the outerends of the members. 7, placing the sections of the latter undercompression against each other and establishing an extremely rigidrelation between the halves of the leg structure. It will now be evidentthat the slight relative longitudinal play between the sections 7 andbars 10 and 11 afforded by slotting said bars to accommodate the screws15 is necessary to allow the building up of tensional stresses in thesaid bars while said sections are being subjected by the legs 4: and Lto resulting compression stresses.

Preferably, a keeper lug 21 is carried by each bar 10, projectingoutwardly from its lower edge and then upwardly, so as to snuglyaccommodate the parts 19 and 20 when the former is disengaged from thehook 17, as best appears in Figs. 5 and 6.

The table top 1, when applied to the described leg structure, isrestrained from any lateral play through fitting of the side pieces 5,6, 7 and 8 snugly into the groove 3 formed by the strips 2 of said top.

The described construction, while inexpensive and readily applied to theleg structure, serves the purpose of completely eliminating loosenessand lost motion in said structure when in use, while permitting thedesired compact collapsing of the leg structure for storage purposes.

WVhile it is apparent that the illustrated embodiment of my invention iswell calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and ad vantagesprimarily stated, it is to be understood that the invention issusceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit andscope of the subjoined claims.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs, a pair of side piecesextending transversely between the legs of opposite pairs in theposition of use of the leg structure, and removable from such positionto provide for approach of the two pairs of legs toward each other, anda pair of detachable connections between the legs of opposite pairs,each adjustable in length to clamp said removable side pieces betweenthe opposite legs in the position of use of the leg structure.

2. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs, a pair of side piecesextending transversely between the legs of opposite pairs in theposition of use of the leg structure and removable from such position toprovide for approach of the two pairs of legs toward each other, a pairof connections between the legs of opposite pairs, each associated withone of said removable side pieces, and each comprising a pair of barspivoted to the legs of opposite pairs, and means carried by the bars ofeach connection for interengaging and tensioning said bars to clamp saidremovable side pieces between the legs of opposite pairs, in theposition of use of the leg structure.

3. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs, a pair of side piecesextending transversely between the legs of opposite pairs in theposition of use of the leg structure, and removable from such positionto provide for approach of the two pairs of legs toward each other, apair of bars associated with each removable side piece pivoted to legsof opposite pairs, a keeper carried by one bar of each pair, a latch armengageable with said keeper, and means mounting said latch arms on theother of said bars, adapted to tension the paired bars throughengagement of said latch arm and keeper and thereby clamp the removableside pieces firmly between the legs of opposite pairs.

l. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs, a bar pivoted upon each leg,said bars on opposite legs being paired, a pair of sectional sidepieces, the sections thereof being mounted each upon one of the pairedbars and having a limited longitudinal movement relative to said bars,means hingedly connecting the sections of each sectional side piece, andmeans carried by the bars of each pair for interengaging said bars undertension to clamp the associated sectional side piece between the legs,the pivotal engagement of said bars with the legs and the hingedengagement of said side piece sections permitting said sections and barsto be swung to a stored position between and parallel to the rigid sidepieces.

5. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs, a bar pivoted upon each legto swing about an axis parallel to that of the leg, said bars onopposite legs forming coacting pairs, a sectional side piece associatedwith each pair of coacting bars, means attaching the sections of eachsectional side piece to the coacting bars, affording a limited relativelengthwise motion between said bars and side pieces, a keeper carried byone of each pair of said bars, latch arms for engaging said keepers, andmeans mounting said latch arms on the other of said bars adapted toengage said latch arms and keepers under tension and thereby clamp thesections of said sectional side pieces firmly between the legs ofopposite pairs.

6. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs, a pair of two-parttensioning connections between the legs of opposite pairs, meanspivoting the parts of said connections individually upon the legs, apair of sectional side pieces, means attaching the sections of said sidepieces individually to the parts of said tensioning connections, meanshingedly connecting the sections of each side piece, and means forinterengaging the parts of each tensioning connection and therebyimposing a tension thereupon for clamping the sectional side piecesbetween the opposite legs.

7 A table le structure comprising two opposite pairs oi legs, a sidepiece connecting each pair of legs and forming with such pair asubstantially rigid unit, a pair of side pieces tranversely extendingbetween the legs of opposite pairs in position of use of the legstructure, and removable from said position to permit approach of thetwo pairs of legs toward each other, and a collapsible connectionbetween said units, comprising leverage means for imposing tension onsaid connection, whereby said removable side pieces may be clampedbetween said units.

8. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece connecting each pair of legs and forming with such pair asubstantially rigid unit, a pair of side pieces transversely extendingbetween the legs of opposite pairs in position of use of the legstructure, and removable from said position to permit approach of thetwo pairs of legs toward each other, a pair of bars, pivoted one uponeach of said units, and means carried by said bars for detachablyconnecting them and drawing them toward each other to stress said unitstoward each other.

9. A table leg structure comprising two opposite pairs of legs, a sidepiece rigidly connecting each pair of legs and forming with said pair asubstantially rigid unit, a pair of collapsible sectional side pieces,connecting said units and spacing said units apart in the position ofuse of the table leg structure, and a collapsible connection betweensaid units extending adjacent to the inner face of each collapsible sidepiece, and adjustable in length to clamp said collapsible side piecebetween said units, said collapsible side pieces being restrained fromcollapse, in use, by their proximity to said adjustable connections.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification DAVID A. CAIRNEY.

